In what ways can you fight with love and the spiritual weapons God has given you?

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

We see throughout the Bible that Jesus is not simply calling us to be a church that believes. He is calling us to be a church who loves. But let’s be real, sometimes loving others feels more like stepping into a wrestling match than a holy discipline. In our quests to love others, we may often have good intentions but when things get hard, we find it easier to walk away. The Bible is clear about the struggles in our lives and relationships there is no struggle with flesh and blood, our struggle is with the enemy. It is the enemy that tries to wreck havoc in our relationships and havoc in the world around us. It is the enemy who wants us to fixate on other people as if they are the problem.

The Bible says that the devil is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short. The enemy came to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus came to teach us to walk in the way of love. When love and forgiveness feels more like a wrestling match, let us ask God to see our true enemy. Believe it or not, 100% of the time our true enemy is never the person standing in front of us! It is futile to spend our time fighting people. Understanding that our struggle is not with flesh and blood frees us to love others the way Christ has called us to. We are called to wage war differently than the rest of the world. Paul teaches us in Ephesians 6:10-20 the kind of war we are to wage and how to take our stand against the devil’s schemes. Christ does not call us to wage war against others with sharp words, clever comebacks and cunning tactics.

Instead, Christ calls us to wage war with love (patience, kindness, and hopeful endurance) and to fix our minds on His Truth, His Gospel, His Spirit and God’s Word. So today, instead of fighting people, let us talk to God. Let us wage war in love and prayer against our true enemy, appealing to the only One who holds the divine power to transform hearts and lives. Think about a situation in which you have found it difficult to love. Ask God to give you spiritual eyes to see the spiritual battle that is happening. In what ways can you fight with love and the spiritual weapons God has given you? Christ calls us to follow in His footsteps and walk in the way of love. Ask Christ to show you the next step you need to take to love someone today.

This is my Prayer: Father God, forgive me for the many times I have seen my enemy as flesh and blood and not the true enemy that You describe in the Bible. Lord help me to wage a war of love and not one filled with the ways of the world. Jesus help me to value unity as much as You do and thank you for leading me in the way of love and peace. Please grant me the courage to walk in it. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.